The agriculture potential output is influenced by several factors. Some of them are general, centered on economic and financial leverages; others are more specific, focusing on natural disasters vector results. Yet all of them can generate local microclimate and environmental changes that reflect on economical dimension of agricultural exploitations or areas. Our study is based on analysis, synthesis and data processing from specific areas of Bacau County and aims to provide social rehabilitation and economical integration support decision suggestions.disadvantaged areas, rational exploitation, ecological products, anti-erosion measures, cultivation specific system

Iuliana DOBRE

Mariana BRAN

Marilena Chiva PAPUC

Radu VOICU

English

Research Papers in Economics

Nr. 1 2 (49)/2010 
 
  85 
Mariana BRAN, Ph.D. Professor 
Iuliana DOBRE, Ph.D. Senior Lecturer 
Radu VOICU, Ph.D. Professor 
Marilena Chiva PAPUC, Ph.D. Senior Lecturer 
Academy of Economical Studies, Bucharest 
 
 
STUDY REGARDING INTEGRATION OF NATURAL 
DISADVANTAGED AGRICULTURAL AREAS IN 
ECONOMIC CYCLE 
 
 
Abstract: The agriculture potential output is influenced by several factors. 
Some of them are general, centered on economic and financial leverages; 
others are more specific, focusing on natural disasters vector results. Yet 
all of them can generate local microclimate and environmental changes 
that  reflect  on  economical  dimension  of  agricultural  exploitations  or 
areas. Our study is based on analysis, synthesis and data processing from 
specific areas of Bacau County and aims to provide social rehabilitation 
and economical integration support decision suggestions. 
 
Key  words:  disadvantaged  areas,  rational  exploitation,  ecological 
products, anti-erosion measures, cultivation specific system. 
 
JEL-codes: R14, Q15, Q56, Q57 
 
Introduction 
 
Since  2008,  many  localities  from  Bacău  County  were  declared 
disadvantaged  areas,  with  specific  natural  conditions.  They  are  also 
located  in  the  basin  Drobotfor /  Pojorâta  and  Motoşeni  and  Stănişeşti. 
Here  are  the  necessary  rehabilitation  works  (areas  affected  by  natural 
disasters) and reconstruction of natural capital (damaged areas). 
The  relation  between  regional  development  and  environment  has 
than fundamental aims to creating on long-term harmony between it and 
the  socio-economic  processes.  Thus,  the  decision  makers  of  economic 
field must take responsibility for the consequences on the environment. 
The future of area study is bound to preserve soil fertility, and interests Revista economică 
 
 86
present and future generations should be oriented towards the adoption of 
technologies needed to achieve a healthy food. 
 
Material and method of working 
In  the  perimeter  of  Basin  Drobotfor  -  Pojorâta  were  analyzed 
demographic  and  natural  aspects,  production,  management  (based  on 
statistical data of the territory, using questionnaires) and were quantified 
influences with the help of specific indicators of this field. 
In terms of number of inhabitants, settlements in the area of analysis 
have  between  4000  and  5000  persons  are  considered,  the  sociological 
perspective, medium-sized. It was found that the population, compared to 
1989, decreased a little. The person employed in the active economy is 
approx. 65% (of which 13.5% working in out of locality) and agricultural 
activity  in  85%  of  working  population  (can  do  manual  work  hoeing, 
weeding, mowing and harvesting, but the shepherd). Among those active 
persons, in the last period, went to work abroad approx. 50%. 
In inside of locality are 3328 households (430 new homes), the share 
of young families representing about 60%. 
The labor market is poorly developed, the populations of hilly areas 
are farmers and beekeepers, and the degree of organization is in its early 
stages. 
The  studied  area  is  characterized  by  increased  degradation, 
particularly by torrential erosion, favored by dominance of sandy rocks, 
features of relief, but also by anthropogenic activities. The process has 
intensified and as a result of the use of land: fragmentation (Low18/1991), 
the  orientation of the  parcels and  works  on the direction  of  slopes  on 
direction of slopes.  
The exposure slopes have significant implications on the structure of 
crops and the establishment of associative exploitations. The antierosional 
agrotehnical measures on these sloping lands, considered imminent, are: 
the  territory  organization,  selection  of  plants,  the  specific  production 
system, specific technological actions, actions for land improvements. 
 
Results and discussions 
1. Current situation of agriculture  
Analysis of use of land in the hydrographic basin Drobotfor shows a 
different distribution such as vegetal formations and the area occupied by 
these  formations.  Lack  and  /  or  fragmentation  of  forests  reveals Nr. 1 2 (49)/2010 
 
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anthropogenic  activities  predominantly  agricultural,  with  vegetal  crops 
applied, especially in the bottom of the slopes and in the meadows  rivers 
Drobotfor  Pojorata  -  subject  to  management  and  technology  used  to 
achieve  them.  Across  subbasin  Pojorata  prevail  areas  occupied  by 
pastures, meadow, vineyards and orchards (land occupied by vineyards 
and orchards - cherry, pear etc. - are present in the vicinity of localities).  
The legal position of agricultural land governed by Law 18/1991. 
The land (6831.89 ha) -in perimeter Drobotfor / Pojorata - is fragmented 
on the 3036 exploitations. Thus, there are 1066 exploitations with areas 
less than 1 ha, 986 with areas of 1.1 - 2 ha, 588 with areas of 2.1 - 5 
hectares, 222 with areas of 5.1 - 10 ha, 127 with areas 10.1 - 25 ha, 46 
with areas of 25.1 - 100 ha, 1 exploitation with area of more than 100 ha. 
As a result, the average area on exploitation is less than 2 ha – critical 
situation regarding efficient and sustainable exploitation. Ownership and 
the mode of operation are the first conditions that may elucidate the role 
of  viable  exploitations  to  solve  problems  of  agriculture,  from  the 
rationalization and organization of activity and of their territory. 
In  vegetal  production  and  animal  production  prevailing  tradition, 
empiricism, the trend is toward diversification; considerations relate to the 
provision of family food needs and achieve revenue. Of course, in sole 
commercial exploitation, things are different, the purpose of the activity to 
obtain  a  profit. Therefore,  the  production  structure is  oriented towards 
specialization. 
The  main  cultures  practiced  on  agricultural  exploitations  (60%  of 
exploitation  have  as  their  object  the  cultivation  of  plants)  are  cereals, 
fodder  plants  and  technical.  Them  yields  obtained  in  2007  were  low: 
wheat 1.7 t / ha, barley 1.2 t / ha; grain maize 1.4 t / ha, sunflower 0.9 t / 
ha, fodder plants 3 t / ha. In a small proportion are included vegetables, 
potatoes, alfalfa. Because these cultures are obtained in the, individual 
households, the small size of them not facilitated the creation of a rigorous 
statistical basis on their share in the area held on the exploitation. Besides 
the show, mention that the plant products are not sold. Also, the territory 
includes a fruit-growing exploitation of 100 hectares, the sole exploitation 
with legal personality. 
With a greater openness to market are the products of animal nature. 
In locality, there is an exploitation specializing in raising sheep, the size is 
100 head, and destination marketing products is integral to the local fair Revista economică 
 
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In individual households, along with crop production is a growing 
number and variety of animals and birds, but also families of bees (187),  
bred milk cows (785), sheep (2465), goats (105), pigs (77 actual source), 
horses (147), + hen turkeys (4515), ducks + geese (1005). For them, there 
are 60 ha of pasture, managed by the local council, growers lucerne (50 
ha) and corn silage (50 ha). 
In  Drobotfor  basin,  production  system  practiced  in  the  culture  of 
plants  is  traditional  with  insertion  of  elements  to  increase,  based  on 
policulture and practiced in the open. In animal husbandry, production 
systems are traditional - sheep transhumance. 
2. Perspective on issues of agriculture development  
The area Drobotfor / Pojorata can be exploited by exploitations (field 
crops, vegetable, forage, mixed, and vines and pomicole, zoo technical) 
and  modern  forestry,  after  the  preliminary  works  to  improve  the 
conservation  and  proper  slopes  and  erosion.  Thus,  the  agricultural 
favorability, respectively the structure  crops recommended for different 
tilt  is  on  slopes  below  10%  →  vegetables,  wheat,  mash,  corn,  peas, 
sunflower, rapeseed, sugar beet, perennial grasses (Bromus), on slopes of 
10 - 15% → 60% annual crops (of which 1 / 2 fall), 40% perennial crops, 
on slopes of 15 - 20% → 40% of annual grasses and perennial autumn, 
weeder  20%,  10%  forage  herbs,  30  %  forage  legumes,  over  20%  → 
destination forestry. 
The most rational use of land and directions of development of the 
agricultural exploitations is defined by determining the number and types 
rotation to be organized. 
The crops suitable for protection against soil erosion in the basin 
Drobotfor are perennial legumes and gramineae which protects from year 
of  vegetation,  grain  cereal,  legumes  and  perennial  gramineae  in  the 
growing season of year, annual forage plants, legumes annual grain are 
poorly protective. 
The favorability is even better the texture culture and the period of 
exploitation are higher. So, in rotation, the structure should fall weeding 
crops rate and annual plants. To achieve rotations for 4-6 years with these 
cultures, the association of owners is required. Specified for that should be 
taken into account and meet the owners of certain products, staggered 
crops  need  to  be  more  technical,  labor,  available  opportunities  for 
producers and mechanization of the work. Nr. 1 2 (49)/2010 
 
  89 
The situation in the exploitations impose measures in the future: re-
production technologies, the meaning of optimal allocation of production 
factors  determining  the  level  of  production,  depending  on  the  effort 
required, given the costs, projected production environments must ensure 
that the necessary balance between income and expenses, while enabling 
and producing a profit, resizing fleet of cars and tractors, which allow 
execution of the entire volume of agricultural best periods, filling gaps in 
existing  plantations  and  the  establishment  of  young  plantations, 
establishment  of  own  funds  to  support  production  technologies  and 
realization of investments, development of recovery programs plantations 
reached the limit of economic exploitation. 
In Drobotfor, use of advanced technologies or improving existing 
ones could have positive impact on revenue growth, in the case of family 
exploitations, or profit, in the case of commercial exploitations. In this 
sense, first, should be respected rotation crops.  
Needs for food, and primarily for profit,  in conjunction with "good 
agricultural practices", the rotation crops must contain the autumn cereal, 
rape seed (biodiesel) and / or forage, maize (grain and silage), sunflower, 
alfalfa (with field rotation jumper). 
To  wheat,  for  example,  that  may  be  obtained  on  the  effect  of 
stabilizing the soil, and analyzed the variations in profits, more, if they use 
organic crops, the profit is more than double compared to conventional 
technologies. 
From the analysis of the structure of expenditure production is found 
high share of expenditure with the seed, generated by the high quantity to 
hectare and its price, as a resource for organic production. 
Culture  of  maize  for  grain,  the  variable  costs  have  94%  of  total 
expenditure, which has strong impact on the training cost of production. 
In  the  structure  of  this  indicator  are  relevant  (as  a  share)  the 
mechanical works spending, as is culture weeding, not give herbicides, is 
required  multiple  mechanical  weeding.  Also,  following  the  division  of 
culture  on  small  areas  (a  phenomenon  specific  land  slope)  occurring 
return repeated at short intervals of time, with increasing influence on fuel 
consumption and therefore on growth of expenditure. 
For alfalfa, the biggest variable expense is recorded for the period of 
exploitation with the mechanical work, in the II-IV years of exploitation, 
these  costs  increased  by  apox.  1.7  times  compared  to  the  year  of Revista economică 
 
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establishment. The explanation lies in the increased number of work and 
maintenance work related to culture. 
Given the influence of size and of other factors on the production and 
economic  results,  and  the  changes  about  the  operating  system  and  the 
management practice, is necessary to use changes in areas planted, with 
increase the land. 
The  structure  of  categories  of  land  in  the  area  examined  was 
determined  according  to  the  insurance  needs  of  consumption  and 
formation rotation. Thus, the following calculations, based on variables - 
number of inhabitants, consumption per capita and the average production 
obtained in 2007 - were obtained as: 
- for cereals (wheat + maize), the required annual sowing = 711.7 ha, 
representing 15.76% of total arable;  
- for sunflower (for vegetable fats), the required annual sowing = 
293.93 ha, representing 6.52% of total arable. 
Mention: words needed in main agricultural crops suitable in terms 
of protection against soil erosion shall ensure an area of 1005.63 hectares 
(is 11.2% of the perimeter basin analysis). If the high culture with its 
reserve the arable with slope to max. 10% (although it may get up to 20% 
if that vine plantings and trees are not investors), 6.3% of the perimeter 
basin back of the alfalfa (for animal feeding) and rapeseed (for sale). 
The lands with slopes of 10-15% will be for life and plantations of 
trees (16.9% of the area studied) in order to avoid the offset, which is 
costly for small businesses. The vine can put on land less favorable for the 
cultivation of field plants. The conditions of slope in the area Drobotfor / 
Pojorata are favorable for obtaining grapes and aromatic white wines, as 
well as table grapes. Currently, the vines are the hybrid direct producers, 
to be replaced with new plantings vine fruitful, they must be located on 
land  which  does  not  require  expensive  solutions  for  interior  and  anti 
arrangements  with  broad  possibilities  of  mechanization  and  lifting 
continuous indices of economy The economic conditions (the existence of 
financial  availability)  refers  to  the  offer  of  setting  up  a  wine-growing 
plantations. Thus, if there is placed a short distance of a good service for 
winemaking  products  and  close  to  a  good  and  cheap  way  of 
communication,  the  price  that  the  seller  and  the  loss  or  reduction  of 
quality is lower. 
An important technical factor is the land form and size of parcels 
determined  the  level  of  exploitation  expenditure.  Uneconomic  use  of Nr. 1 2 (49)/2010 
 
  91 
energy  has  raised  costs,  thus  small  exploitations  must  circumscribe  in 
conceptual organized areas, underpinning the establishment of use in the 
agricultural perimeter. 
The  technical  criteria  are  determined  by:  anti  arrangement, 
construction of roads network etc.. If land is slope is uniform and depth of 
erosion  was  not,  anti  arrangement  can  run  with  ordinary  mechanical 
means,  and  traces  the  paths  are  easy  to  build.  For  land  with  sloping 
uniform, with frequent changes of exposition and frequent places with 
pronounced erosion of depth, will call the various solutions and specific 
interventions. 
Where  are  slopes  of  10-12%,  should  use  anti  agrotehnical  works 
(works of deep soil, administration of chemical fertilizers or green), grass 
etc. On slopes less than 12%, targeting rows of vineyards and orchards 
was on the bend. It designs permanent buffer strips (4-5m wide) along 
water courses and strip grass the bend between the rows of vines or trees. 
On the land with low fertility and slope greater than 12%, protection 
against erosion requires the offset arrangement of land. Planting distance 
should be 2.0-2.2 m between rows, to ensure work mechanization and 1.0-
1.2 m between vines per row. 
So, stop or reduce loss of water and soil, due to leakage on versants 
requires  practicing  anti  curtains,  grass  bends,  channels  terraces,  and 
coastal  
The  main  shortcoming  of  tree  plantations  is  age,  leading  to  a 
potential decline (excluding exploitations with 100 ha). The alternative is 
the establishment the new plantations.  
The organization of land for this purpose, pursuing and achieving the 
best conditions for preventing and combating soil degradation, creating 
optimum  conditions  for  the  execution  of  the  work  of  tree  care  and 
recovery  of  production  must  include  works  of  land  improvement,  
fragmentation, trace roads etc. On slopes of 12% - 18%, are required the 
grass bands between rows of trees (ratio 1:2:3 or 4, depending on the 
slope and distance between rows. 
For establish a hectare of orchard with apples, for example, the land 
preparation it means an investment of at least 10-15 thousand euros (semi 
intensive  and  extensive  exploitations,  which  they  recommend  the  area 
studied). Annual maintenance costs, to enter the rod, also are high, and 
fructification starts at 4-6 years. It follows that the recovery of investment Revista economică 
 
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is high and is preferably a combination of such owners for the business, 
which involves the cost of storage. 
In plantations of pear production, the  expenditure are higher by 15% 
-20% compared to the apple, it is more profitable to growth pears, but 
culture is more demanding. To invest in plantation of cherry is only 50% - 
60% of the cost of production for plantations of apple. 
As a feature of the area Drobotfor / Pojorata, as was specified, the 
assurance of agricultural products is essential. 
Thus,  to  the  requirements  of  annually  livestock  products, 
respectively 63.5 kg meat, 240 kg milk and 280 pcs. eggs, the production 
per capita are achieved 30.78 kilograms of meat, milk and 466.72 l 652 
eggs. The deficit is found in meat product. 
Therefore, can use the mix of industries and growth of sheep for 
meat and rational exploitation pasture and meadow. By using the rational 
and full of pasture and meadow land with  slope between 15 and 20%, 
annual to increase over 6,000 head fattened sheep (approximately 141,435 
kg  meat)  that  far  exceeds  the  needs  of  consumption  and  therefore 
production  can  be  marketed  fresh  or  processed  (if  the  Association  to 
access funds for IMMs). 
Also, can to increase the herd of cows, and, milk production, 
whereas the maintenance of the meadows and pastures, their yields 
(3 tons / year) may be double. Therefore, in the livestock can be 
organized  associative  exploitations  in  the  production  and 
processing, which will increase value added. 
 
Conclusions 
In the area Drobotfor, are predominant agricultural activities, as a 
means  of  ensuring  the  needs  of  food  and  income  for  family.  The 
exploitations are, in generally, small, and least connected to market and 
poorly capitalized. The solutions obtained after completion of diagnostic 
analysis  regarding  capacity  the  use  of  the  land,  knowing  the  area 
potentialities, as premise for development of basin Drobotfor. 
 
 Nr. 1 2 (49)/2010 
 
  93 
 
Bibliografie 
1.  Bran,  Mariana,  Silvia,  Ştefan,  Iuliana,  Dobre,  2007  –  Tehnologii 
agricole  comparate,  Vol.  I  –  Culturi  de  toamnă,  Ed.  Printech, 
Bucureşti. 
2.  Bran, Mariana, Iuliana, Dobre, Marcela, Ştefan, D., Boboc, Marilena, 
Papuc,
 2008 - Long-term development of agriculture in micro-area 
„Drobotfor-Pojorâta”, în Romanian Agricultural Research, nr. 25, p. 
97-107. 
3.  Voicu, R., Dobre, Iuliana, 2003 - Organizarea şi strategia dezvoltării 
unităţilor agricole, Ed. ASE, Bucureşti. 
 

STUDY REGARDING INTEGRATION OF NATURAL DISADVANTAGED AGRICULTURAL AREAS IN ECONOMIC CYCLE

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STUDY REGARDING INTEGRATION OF NATURAL DISADVANTAGED AGRICULTURAL AREAS IN ECONOMIC CYCLE

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